Visual editor selection support (getSelectedText + selection-change e…

.vscode/settings.json

@@ -11,5 +11,6 @@
     "files.trimFinalNewlines": true,
     "files.trimTrailingWhitespace": true,
     "javascript.format.semicolons": "insert",
-    "typescript.format.semicolons": "insert"
+    "typescript.format.semicolons": "insert",
+    "snyk.advanced.autoSelectOrganization": true
 }

apps/vscode-editor/src/sync.ts

@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import {
   VSC_VE_GetSlideIndex,
   VSC_VE_GetActiveBlockContext,
   VSC_VE_SetBlockSelection,
+  VSC_VE_GetSelectedText,
   VSC_VE_Init, 
   VSC_VE_Focus,
   VSC_VEH_FlushEditorUpdates,
@@ -181,7 +182,7 @@ export async function syncEditorToHost(
 
           // visual editor => text editor (just send the state, host will call back for markdown)
           editor.subscribe(UpdateEvent, () => host.onEditorUpdated(editor.getStateJson()));
-          editor.subscribe(StateChangeEvent, () => host.onEditorStateChanged(editor.getEditorSourcePos())); 
+          editor.subscribe(StateChangeEvent, () => host.onEditorStateChanged(editor.getEditorSourcePos(), editor.getSelectedText()));
 
 
           // return canonical markdown
@@ -252,6 +253,9 @@ export async function syncEditorToHost(
     },
     async setBlockSelection(context: CodeViewActiveBlockContext, action: CodeViewSelectionAction) {
       editor.setBlockSelection(context, action);
+    },
+    async getSelectedText(): Promise<string> {
+      return editor.getSelectedText();
     }
   })
 
@@ -334,6 +338,7 @@ function visualEditorHostServer(vscode: WebviewApi<unknown>, editor: VSCodeVisua
     [VSC_VE_ApplyExternalEdit]: args => editor.applyExternalEdit(args[0]),
     [VSC_VE_GetActiveBlockContext]: () => editor.getActiveBlockContext(),
     [VSC_VE_SetBlockSelection]: args => editor.setBlockSelection(args[0], args[1]),
+    [VSC_VE_GetSelectedText]: () => editor.getSelectedText(),
     [VSC_VE_PrefsChanged]: args => editor.prefsChanged(args[0]),
     [VSC_VE_ImageChanged]: args => editor.imageChanged(args[0])
   })
@@ -346,7 +351,7 @@ function editorJsonRpcContainer(request: JsonRpcRequestTransport) : VSCodeVisual
     reopenSourceMode: () => request(VSC_VEH_ReopenSourceMode, []),
     onEditorReady: () => request(VSC_VEH_OnEditorReady, []),
     onEditorUpdated: (state: unknown) => request(VSC_VEH_OnEditorUpdated, [state]),
-    onEditorStateChanged: (sourcePos: SourcePos) => request(VSC_VEH_OnEditorStateChanged, [sourcePos]),
+    onEditorStateChanged: (sourcePos: SourcePos, selectedText: string) => request(VSC_VEH_OnEditorStateChanged, [sourcePos, selectedText]),
     flushEditorUpdates: () => request(VSC_VEH_FlushEditorUpdates, []),
     saveDocument: () => request(VSC_VEH_SaveDocument, []),
     renderDocument: () => request(VSC_VEH_RenderDocument, []),

apps/vscode/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 ## 1.134.0 (Unreleased)
 
+- Exposed the visual editor's text selection: added a `quarto.editor.getSelectedText` command and an `onDidChangeVisualEditorSelection` event on the public extension API (<https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto/pull/997>).
+
 ## 1.133.0 (Release on 2026-06-03)
 
 - Added diagnostics (i.e. squiggly underlines) to code cells in qmds (<https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto/pull/980>).

apps/vscode/package.json

@@ -232,6 +232,11 @@
         "title": "New Quarto Presentation (qmd)",
         "category": "Quarto"
       },
+      {
+        "command": "quarto.toggleWordCount",
+        "title": "Toggle Word Count",
+        "category": "Quarto"
+      },
       {
         "command": "quarto.newNotebook",
         "title": "New Quarto Notebook (ipynb)",
@@ -1074,6 +1079,20 @@
           "default": true,
           "markdownDescription": "Use reticulate to execute Python cells within Knitr engine documents."
         },
+        "quarto.wordCount.enabled": {
+          "order": 28,
+          "scope": "window",
+          "type": "boolean",
+          "default": true,
+          "markdownDescription": "Show word counts (per-section code lens / visual editor badge, plus document total and selection count in the status bar)."
+        },
+        "quarto.wordCount.includeCodeCells": {
+          "order": 29,
+          "scope": "window",
+          "type": "boolean",
+          "default": false,
+          "markdownDescription": "Include executable code cells, fenced code, and raw blocks in word counts. YAML front matter is always excluded."
+        },
         "quarto.mathjax.scale": {
           "order": 15,
           "scope": "window",

apps/vscode/src/api.ts

@@ -13,8 +13,20 @@
  *
  */
 
+import * as vscode from "vscode";
+
 import { QuartoContext } from "quarto-core";
 
+/**
+ * Payload for the {@link QuartoExtensionApi.onDidChangeVisualEditorSelection} event.
+ */
+export interface VisualEditorSelection {
+  /** The document whose visual editor selection changed. */
+  uri: vscode.Uri;
+  /** The currently selected text (empty string when nothing is selected). */
+  selectedText: string;
+}
+
 /**
  * Public API for the Quarto extension.
  *
@@ -29,11 +41,16 @@ import { QuartoContext } from "quarto-core";
  * copy this interface definition into your own codebase:
  *
  * ```typescript
- * // Copy this interface into your extension
+ * // Copy these definitions into your extension
+ * interface VisualEditorSelection {
+ *   uri: { toString(): string };
+ *   selectedText: string;
+ * }
  * interface QuartoExtensionApi {
  *   getQuartoPath(): string | undefined;
  *   getQuartoVersion(): string | undefined;
  *   isQuartoAvailable(): boolean;
+ *   onDidChangeVisualEditorSelection: (listener: (e: VisualEditorSelection) => unknown) => { dispose(): unknown };
  * }
  *
  * // Then use it like this:
@@ -67,12 +84,27 @@ export interface QuartoExtensionApi {
    * Check if Quarto is available.
    */
   isQuartoAvailable(): boolean;
+
+  /**
+   * Fires when the text selection changes in a Quarto visual editor.
+   *
+   * The event carries the document URI and the currently selected text. An
+   * empty `selectedText` is a meaningful event (e.g. the selection was cleared),
+   * so consumers can use it to reset their UI. Events are de-duplicated against
+   * the previous selection for a given document, but not time-debounced — the
+   * underlying editor reports state changes on every cursor move, so consumers
+   * that need throttling should debounce themselves.
+   */
+  onDidChangeVisualEditorSelection: vscode.Event<VisualEditorSelection>;
 }
 
 /**
  * Create the public API for the Quarto extension.
  */
-export function createQuartoExtensionApi(quartoContext: QuartoContext): QuartoExtensionApi {
+export function createQuartoExtensionApi(
+  quartoContext: QuartoContext,
+  onDidChangeVisualEditorSelection: vscode.Event<VisualEditorSelection>
+): QuartoExtensionApi {
   return {
     getQuartoPath(): string | undefined {
       if (!quartoContext.available) {
@@ -91,5 +123,7 @@ export function createQuartoExtensionApi(quartoContext: QuartoContext): QuartoEx
     isQuartoAvailable(): boolean {
       return quartoContext.available;
     },
+
+    onDidChangeVisualEditorSelection,
   };
 }

apps/vscode/src/main.ts

@@ -50,8 +50,9 @@ import { activateYamlLinks } from "./providers/yaml-links";
 import { activateYamlFilepathCompletions } from "./providers/yaml-filepath-completions";
 import { activateContextKeySetter } from "./providers/context-keys";
 import { activateDivBracketDecorations } from "./providers/div-brackets";
+import { activateWordCount } from "./providers/wordcount/wordcount";
 import { CommandManager } from "./core/command";
-import { createQuartoExtensionApi, QuartoExtensionApi } from "./api";
+import { createQuartoExtensionApi, QuartoExtensionApi, VisualEditorSelection } from "./api";
 
 let embeddedDiagnostics: EmbeddedDiagnosticsService | undefined;
 
@@ -67,6 +68,10 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext): Promise<Quarto
   // create extension host
   const host = extensionHost();
 
+  // emits visual editor selection changes to consumers of the public API
+  const visualEditorSelectionEmitter = new vscode.EventEmitter<VisualEditorSelection>();
+  context.subscriptions.push(visualEditorSelectionEmitter);
+
   // create markdown engine
   const engine = new MarkdownEngine();
 
@@ -133,7 +138,7 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext): Promise<Quarto
     registerOutlineConfigListener(context);
 
     // provide visual editor
-    const editorCommands = activateEditor(context, host, quartoContext, lspClient, engine);
+    const editorCommands = activateEditor(context, host, quartoContext, lspClient, engine, visualEditorSelectionEmitter);
     commands.push(...editorCommands);
 
     // zotero
@@ -238,6 +243,9 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext): Promise<Quarto
   // div bracket decorations
   activateDivBracketDecorations(context);
 
+  // word counts (per-section code lens + status bar total/selection)
+  activateWordCount(context, engine, visualEditorSelectionEmitter.event);
+
   // commands
   const commandManager = new CommandManager();
   for (const cmd of commands) {
@@ -251,7 +259,7 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext): Promise<Quarto
   outputChannel.info("Activated Quarto extension.");
 
   // Return the public API for other extensions to use
-  return createQuartoExtensionApi(quartoContext);
+  return createQuartoExtensionApi(quartoContext, visualEditorSelectionEmitter.event);
 }
 
 /**

apps/vscode/src/providers/editor/connection.ts

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import {
   VSC_VE_ApplyExternalEdit,
   VSC_VE_GetActiveBlockContext,
   VSC_VE_SetBlockSelection,
+  VSC_VE_GetSelectedText,
   VSC_VEH_EditorResourceUri,
   VSC_VEH_GetHostContext,
   VSC_VEH_ReopenSourceMode,
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@ export function visualEditorClient(webviewPanel: WebviewPanel)
         context: CodeViewActiveBlockContext,
         action: CodeViewSelectionAction
       ) => request(VSC_VE_SetBlockSelection, [context, action]),
+      getSelectedText: () => request(VSC_VE_GetSelectedText, []),
       applyExternalEdit: (markdown: string) => request(VSC_VE_ApplyExternalEdit, [markdown]),
       prefsChanged: (prefs: Prefs) => request(VSC_VE_PrefsChanged, [prefs]),
       imageChanged: (file: string) => request(VSC_VE_ImageChanged, [file])
@@ -144,7 +146,7 @@ function editorHostMethods(host: VSCodeVisualEditorHost): Record<string, JsonRpc
     [VSC_VEH_ReopenSourceMode]: () => host.reopenSourceMode(),
     [VSC_VEH_OnEditorReady]: () => host.onEditorReady(),
     [VSC_VEH_OnEditorUpdated]: args => host.onEditorUpdated(args[0]),
-    [VSC_VEH_OnEditorStateChanged]: args => host.onEditorStateChanged(args[0]),
+    [VSC_VEH_OnEditorStateChanged]: args => host.onEditorStateChanged(args[0], args[1]),
     [VSC_VEH_FlushEditorUpdates]: () => host.flushEditorUpdates(),
     [VSC_VEH_SaveDocument]: () => host.saveDocument(),
     [VSC_VEH_RenderDocument]: () => host.renderDocument(),

apps/vscode/src/providers/editor/editor.ts

@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ import {
   Selection,
   TextEditorRevealType,
   GlobPattern,
-  TabInputText
+  TabInputText,
+  EventEmitter
 } from "vscode";
 
 import { LanguageClient } from "vscode-languageclient/node";
@@ -67,24 +68,27 @@ import {
 } from "./toggle";
 import { ExtensionHost } from "../../host";
 import { TabInputCustom } from "vscode";
+import { VisualEditorSelection } from "../../api";
 
 const kVisualModeConfirmed = "visualModeConfirmed";
 
 export interface QuartoVisualEditor extends QuartoEditor {
   hasFocus(): Promise<boolean>;
   getActiveBlockContext(): Promise<CodeViewActiveBlockContext | null>;
   setBlockSelection(context: CodeViewActiveBlockContext, action: CodeViewSelectionAction): Promise<void>;
+  getSelectedText(): Promise<string>;
 }
 
 export function activateEditor(
   context: ExtensionContext,
   host: ExtensionHost,
   quartoContext: QuartoContext,
   lspClient: LanguageClient,
-  engine: MarkdownEngine
+  engine: MarkdownEngine,
+  selectionEmitter: EventEmitter<VisualEditorSelection>
 ): Command[] {
   // register the provider
-  context.subscriptions.push(VisualEditorProvider.register(context, host, quartoContext, lspClient, engine));
+  context.subscriptions.push(VisualEditorProvider.register(context, host, quartoContext, lspClient, engine, selectionEmitter));
 
   // return commands
   return [
@@ -100,6 +104,16 @@ export function activateEditor(
         return VisualEditorProvider.activeEditor() !== undefined;
       }
     },
+    {
+      id: 'quarto.editor.getSelectedText',
+      async execute() {
+        const editor = VisualEditorProvider.activeEditor();
+        if (editor) {
+          return await editor.getSelectedText();
+        }
+        return '';
+      }
+    },
     editInVisualModeCommand(),
     editInSourceModeCommand(),
     toggleRenderOnSaveCommand()
@@ -136,7 +150,8 @@ export class VisualEditorProvider implements CustomTextEditorProvider {
     host: ExtensionHost,
     quartoContext: QuartoContext,
     lspClient: LanguageClient,
-    engine: MarkdownEngine
+    engine: MarkdownEngine,
+    selectionEmitter: EventEmitter<VisualEditorSelection>
   ): Disposable {
 
     // setup request transport
@@ -260,7 +275,7 @@ export class VisualEditorProvider implements CustomTextEditorProvider {
       }
     }, 100)));
 
-    const provider = new VisualEditorProvider(context, host, quartoContext, lspRequest, engine);
+    const provider = new VisualEditorProvider(context, host, quartoContext, lspRequest, engine, selectionEmitter);
     const providerRegistration = window.registerCustomEditorProvider(
       VisualEditorProvider.viewType,
       provider,
@@ -303,6 +318,9 @@ export class VisualEditorProvider implements CustomTextEditorProvider {
         setBlockSelection: async (context, action) => {
           await editor.editor.setBlockSelection(context, action);
         },
+        getSelectedText: async () => {
+          return await editor.editor.getSelectedText();
+        },
         viewColumn: editor.webviewPanel.viewColumn
       };
     } else {
@@ -322,7 +340,21 @@ export class VisualEditorProvider implements CustomTextEditorProvider {
     private readonly extensionHost: ExtensionHost,
     private readonly quartoContext: QuartoContext,
     private readonly lspRequest: JsonRpcRequestTransport,
-    private readonly engine: MarkdownEngine) { }
+    private readonly engine: MarkdownEngine,
+    private readonly selectionEmitter: EventEmitter<VisualEditorSelection>) { }
+
+  // last selection emitted per document (used to de-duplicate selection-change events)
+  private readonly lastSelectedText = new Map<string, string>();
+
+  // fire the public selection-change event, de-duplicating against the previous selection
+  private fireSelectionChanged(uri: Uri, selectedText: string) {
+    const key = uri.toString();
+    if (this.lastSelectedText.get(key) === selectedText) {
+      return;
+    }
+    this.lastSelectedText.set(key, selectedText);
+    this.selectionEmitter.fire({ uri, selectedText });
+  }
 
   public async resolveCustomTextEditor(
     document: TextDocument,
@@ -478,8 +510,9 @@ export class VisualEditorProvider implements CustomTextEditorProvider {
       // notify sync manager when visual editor is updated
       onEditorUpdated: syncManager.onVisualEditorChanged,
 
-      onEditorStateChanged: async (sourcePos: SourcePos) => {
+      onEditorStateChanged: async (sourcePos: SourcePos, selectedText: string) => {
         VisualEditorProvider.visualEditorLastSourcePos.set(document.uri.toString(), sourcePos);
+        this.fireSelectionChanged(document.uri, selectedText);
       },
 
       // flush any pending updates
@@ -571,6 +604,7 @@ export class VisualEditorProvider implements CustomTextEditorProvider {
       for (const disposable of disposables) {
         disposable.dispose();
       }
+      this.lastSelectedText.delete(document.uri.toString());
     });
 
   }